There were still about ten minutes left before the ceremony began.
The schoolyard was gradually filling with students.
I involuntarily slowed my pace.
There she was…
“Seirin Academy.”
The very same school where the entire story of the game took place.
Once, I had seen it hundreds of times.
In the background of dialogues.
During route selections.
In beautiful CGs.
But now…
It was real.
The tall four-story building made of light brick was brightly illuminated by the morning sun. Neatly trimmed trees grew everywhere, and cherry blossoms were already beginning to bloom along the paths. A light breeze plucked individual petals, making them slowly swirl in the air.
The usual noise for any school filled the courtyard.
Someone was laughing loudly.
Someone was discussing the holidays.
Several guys from the baseball club were already running around the sports field.
Near the entrance to the gym, girls from the volleyball team were warming up.
A bit further away, several students in kendo club uniforms were carrying training swords.
Life was in full swing.
And for some reason, it was right at this moment that it finally hit me.
This was no longer a game.
Not a set of beautiful sprites.
Not dialogues with answer choices.
A real world.
Real people.
I slowly exhaled.
— Beautiful…
Probably for the first time since appearing here, I truly felt like an ordinary high school student.
Though that feeling didn’t last long.
As soon as a few students noticed me, the conversations around them began to gradually die down.
Not immediately.
Not blatantly.
People just started glancing over discreetly.
Someone whispered something to their neighbor.
Someone quickly looked away.
— Is that him?
— Looks like it…
— The transfer student…
— Kurosaki…
The surname spread through the courtyard in barely audible whispers.
I just smiled crookedly.
“News travels fast.”
Though, what was there to be surprised about?
A transfer student in the graduating class was already a rarity.
And if that student also had a questionable reputation…
Everyone would be talking about him.
I calmly walked up the steps to the entrance.
Several teachers stood by the doors, greeting the students.
When it was my turn, one of them looked down at the list.
— Kurosaki Ren?
— Yes.
He glanced up at me for a moment.
He looked me over carefully from head to toe.
As if comparing the person in front of him with the image that had already formed in his head.
— Go in.
— Thank you.
After a short bow, I stepped inside.
…
The opening ceremony for the new school year was held in the large auditorium.
Even rows of folding chairs.
A stage with red and white curtains.
The school flag.
A podium.
The teachers had already taken their seats.
Students were gradually settling into their classes.
I was shown a seat at the very end of the row.
Honestly…
It suited me perfectly.
A few minutes later, the principal stepped onto the stage.
— Dear students…
“It’s starting…”
If there were a world championship for long-winded greeting speeches, Japanese school principals would definitely fight for first place.
Five minutes.
Ten.
Fifteen.
He talked about discipline.
About responsibility.
About the future.
About exams.
About school pride.
I honestly tried to listen.
Really.
But my body had other plans.
Memories of the previous night surfaced on their own.
Underground fights.
The move.
Unpacking.
Thoughts until dawn.
Then an early rise.
My eyes began to feel unpleasantly heavy.
“No…”
“Not now…”
I discreetly pinched my palm.
It helped.
For about thirty seconds.
After that, my eyelids started to droop again.
The principal’s voice gradually turned into a monotonous hum.
“Hold on…”
“Just a little longer…”
…
A burst of loud applause made me flinch.
I jerked my head up.
Shit.
Did I really…
Yes.
I had dozed off after all.
Only for a few minutes.
But I had dozed off.
I quietly exhaled, trying not to attract attention.
Too late.
— Did you see that?
— He fell asleep right during the ceremony…
— No shame at all…
— They did say he was a problem student…
The whispers spread right nearby.
I just closed my eyes.
“Are you serious…”
“I just didn’t sleep for almost a full day.”
But of course, no one knew that.
To those around me, the picture looked completely different.
A transfer student with a bad reputation.
Who didn’t even bother to stay awake for the principal’s speech.
I smirked to myself.
First day of school.
And I had already managed to confirm the rumors…
Without even trying.
The applause gradually died down.
Students began to stand up one by one and head toward the exit from the auditorium.
I stood up too.
I didn’t feel like sleeping anymore.
But I really wanted the ground to swallow me whole.
“Great job, Ren.”
“First day at a new school…”
“And you already managed to fall asleep during the ceremony.”
“Excellent start.”
Mentally smirking, I adjusted my bag on my shoulder and followed the flow of students toward the main building.
…
— Kurosaki Ren?
I turned around.
A young woman was walking toward me at a brisk pace.
The moment I saw her face…
I recognized her instantly.
Amano-sensei.
The homeroom teacher of Class 3-A.
And one of the additional heroines in Yokubou no Gakuen: Ochita Jun’ai.
She looked about thirty years old.
Long straight black hair fell neatly almost to her waist, and thin-rimmed glasses emphasized her large, calm eyes. Fair skin, soft facial features, and a quiet, incredibly kind smile immediately created the feeling of a reliable person.
If you looked more closely…
The resemblance became obvious.
Standing before me was the mother of Amano Yuki.
That was why they looked so similar in the game.
“Damn…”
“When I played the game, I never even realized how striking the resemblance was.”
— My name is Amano. I’m your homeroom teacher. Please follow me. I’ll introduce you to the class now.
— Alright.
We walked silently toward the stairs.
As we climbed to the third floor, I involuntarily recalled her route.
Most players hated it.
Not because it was poorly written.
Quite the opposite.
It was one of the best routes in the entire game.
But it practically broke the main story arc.
If you chose Amano-sensei…
The story changed drastically.
Instead of school romance, it became an adult, heavy story about a lonely teacher who, after her husband’s death, was raising her daughter alone.
Yuki.
The ending of this route was still considered one of the harshest in the game.
In the climax, the player had to make a choice.
Save Amano-sensei…
Or manage to help the other heroines.
Combining both options was impossible.
That was how the scenario worked.
Choose her…
And you lose almost all the other happy endings.
That was why most players called this route a “trap.”
I smiled faintly.
“But now…”
“This is no longer a game.”
“No route restrictions.”
“No flags.”
“No artificial choices.”
“If this world is real…”
“Then I will find a way to save absolutely everyone.”
— Kurosaki…
I looked up.
Amano-sensei was looking at me with slight concern.
— Yes?
She paused for a moment, as if choosing her words.
— A new school is always a chance to start everything over.
I looked her straight in the eyes.
She wasn’t accusing me.
She wasn’t lecturing me.
She had already heard the rumors about me.
But she still decided to talk to me as a person first.
I calmly nodded.
— That’s exactly why I transferred here.
She looked noticeably surprised by my answer.
She had probably expected anything.
Rudeness.
Indifference.
Irritation.
But not this.
A few seconds later, we stopped in front of a door.
On the small plaque it read:
3-A
“Here it is…”
This was the very class that served as the main setting for Yokubou no Gakuen: Ochita Jun’ai.
How many times had I seen it through the screen…
Now my heart was beating a little faster.
Voices of students could be heard from inside the classroom.
Someone was laughing.
Someone was discussing the holidays.
Someone was already arguing about the upcoming exams.
A completely ordinary school life.
Amano-sensei opened the door and entered first.
— Good morning, everyone.
The conversations died down immediately.
— Before we begin the first homeroom period, I would like to introduce you to a new student.
A wave of curious whispers swept through the classroom.
— Is that him?
— The transfer student?
— They say he…
— Quiet.
Amano-sensei gave the class a strict look.
— Come in.
I took a step forward.
Silence fell over the classroom instantly.
The first person I noticed was Haruto.
He was sitting by the window almost in the center of the class and looked at me in surprise.
Next to him, leaning on her desk, sat Mio.
Her cheerful smile disappeared the second she recognized me.
Across the aisle from them was Yuki.
The moment our eyes met, she flinched almost imperceptibly and quickly looked away.
The rest of the students were also staring at me attentively.
Some with interest.
Some with caution.
Some had already formed an opinion before even meeting me.
Amano-sensei looked at me.
— Introduce yourself to the class.
Amano-sensei looked at me.
— Introduce yourself to the class.
For a few seconds, silence fell over the classroom.
More than twenty pairs of eyes were fixed on me.
Some looked with interest.
Some — with caution.
Others didn’t even try to hide their wariness.
I slowly scanned the class.
“Well…”
“Let’s go.”
— My name is Kurosaki Ren.
I spoke calmly.
Without challenge.
Without arrogance.
— I hope we can get along.
…
For several seconds, no one said anything.
Then a faint whisper spread through the classroom.
— That’s it?..
— I thought he’d start being rude…
— Weird…
Amano-sensei nodded with satisfaction.
— Thank you. For now, you can take the empty seat by the window, in the last row.
Right by the window.
Just as I remembered.
My seat in the game.
I calmly walked through the entire classroom.
Almost physically feeling dozens of gazes on me.
The moment I sat down at my desk…
The conversations gradually resumed.
Though now they were much quieter.
I took a notebook out of my bag and pretended to be fully focused on the lesson.
Although I could hear almost everything around me.
— He’s much taller than I thought…
— And his face…
— They say he was constantly getting into fights.
— Scary…
Pause.
Then a very quiet female voice from somewhere in front:
— But…
— What?
— He’s actually… pretty handsome…
— Idiot! Don’t say that so loud!
— I was whispering!
I barely held back a smile.
“Seriously?”
Even now…
Even with such a reputation…
There were girls who immediately noticed his appearance.
Though the next phrase quickly ruined everything.
— Still scary though…
— Yeah…
— The way he looks at you is unsettling.
“Well… fair enough.”
Looking at my reflection in the window glass, I mentally agreed.
Nearly two meters tall.
Broad shoulders.
Traces of yesterday’s fight hadn’t fully faded yet.
If you didn’t know me…
The picture really did look intimidating.
…
The first lesson began.
The teacher was talking about the graduating year schedule, exams, and university entrance preparation.
I listened with half an ear.
What concerned me much more right now was something else.
“So…”
“If my memory serves me right…”
“Today should be the first choice.”
I closed my eyes for just a second, recalling the beginning of the game.
After classes…
Mio would suggest to Haruto that they stop by the new café near the station.
Just to grab a bite.
That was where the player was given a choice.
Go with Mio.
Or…
Stay and wait for Yuki, who would be delayed in the library returning books.
At first glance, the choice seemed completely harmless.
An ordinary scene.
An ordinary walk.
But it was here that the true cruelty of Yokubou no Gakuen: Ochita Jun’ai first revealed itself.
If you agreed to go with Mio…
Yuki would go home alone.
On the way, she would be stopped by a group of local delinquents.
In the game, this episode didn’t end in catastrophe.
Haruto would manage to intervene in time.
The police would arrive quickly enough.
But…
I remembered Yuki’s face on that CG perfectly.
Frightened eyes.
Trembling hands.
A torn school bag.
Tears she tried unsuccessfully to hide.
And most importantly…
After that event, she was afraid to go home alone for a long time.
Even if the story later pretended everything ended well.
“No.”
I slowly opened my eyes.
“This time, that won’t happen.”
“Neither that event.”
“Nor that trauma.”
“I won’t let the script use Yuki as another plot trigger again.”